Fairmont State University Receives Funding to Promote International Education to Falcon Community
Fairmont State University has been awarded $7,000 through the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC) to promote international education to students, staff, and faculty. This funding will empower Fairmont State to further its mission of educating engaged citizens and creating a transformational impact in West Virginia and beyond, while also reaffirming its vision to be a Great Place to Learn and a Great Place to Call Home for individuals across the globe.
This grant will be used to support curricular activities that promote international education in various disciplines as well as faculty participation in the University of Minnesota’s Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Design & Facilitation Essentials Workshop. Faculty from the College of Education, Health and Human Performance and the College of Liberal Arts will participate in this project by creating lessons that foster global awareness, cultural understanding, and international communication and collaboration.
“This grant will help advance Fairmont State’s larger aspirations for global engagement. Implementation of the COIL initiative will enhance collaborative international research, bring together diverse expertise, and lead to innovative solutions for complex global challenges,” said Director of Global Engagement Rosemarie Igbo. “These partnerships enhance the quality of research and academic programs, benefiting both students and faculty. Integrating global perspectives into the curriculum fosters critical thinking and the ability to approach problems from multiple viewpoints. By fostering global mindedness and embracing internationalization, we contribute to the development of informed, empathetic, and capable global citizens prepared to engage with the complexities of a globalized world".
Maria Agee, Assistant Professor of Instructional Design and Technology and GlobalWV Academic Coordinator, collaborated with Fairmont State faculty and staff for this grant, including Barbara MacLennan, Assistant Professor of Geography; Frank LaFone, Director of Institutional Effectiveness; Moshe Machlev, Professor of Psychology; Laura Guglani, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Spanish Education; and Rosemarie Igbo, Director of Global Engagement. The grant-funded project will enable students, staff, and faculty to learn more about international cultures and languages, as well as various social, economic, historical, and environmental systems.
Agee said, “Our cross-disciplinary collaboration helped me understand how international education can be promoted beyond my discipline and within specific contexts and fields of faculty from other departments. Every faculty member and staff member brought his or her unique perspective, experience, and expertise, whether it related to teaching, technological, or curriculum design practices or simply to understanding the needs of students.”
The COIL Workshop will be especially helpful since it will enable faculty to facilitate and design lessons and activities that better prepare students for international communication. The Workshop consists of six modules and will take 20 hours for the faculty members to complete.
The funder of this grant, WVHEPC, established Global West Virginia, an international education consortium of 13 four-year public higher education institutions and nine community colleges and technical colleges in West Virginia. WVHEPC, through this consortium and its Office of International Programs, provides overall leadership and coordination of international opportunities, such as those for WV students who wish to study abroad and those for international students who would like to study in WV.
“The idea is to include our students in international academic conversations with faculty and students from other countries to help our students form an understanding of other cultures and their differences and practices,” Agee shared. “In today’s globalized economy, employers value graduates who are aware of global perspectives, can easily adapt, and collaborate on a global level. By including international education in our curricula, we will be preparing future global citizens who will thrive in a multi-cultural and interconnected world.”
The project will begin Fall 2025 and will include various activities such as guest speakers with international experience, career panels, and more, so stay tuned for this exciting, sponsored program on campus.
This grant was obtained with the assistance of the Fairmont State University Office of Sponsored Programs.
